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Solar Panel Developed That Can Generate Electricity From Rain (sciencenewsjournal.com)

Posted by msmash on from the affinity-for-solar-power dept.

Reader Socguy writes: Scientists in China have developed a prototype solar panel with a single atom-thick layer of graphene on the surface. This layer allows the panel to generate electricity, not just from the sun but also from any rain that falls on it. This development promises to further boost the output of solar panels during times of less than optimal conditions.Also from the report, "All it takes is a mere one-atom thick graphene layer for an excessive amount of electrons to move as they wish across the surface. In situations where water is present, graphene binds its electrons with positively charged ions. Some of you may know this process to be called as the Lewis acid-base interaction."

15 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Real world by afidel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In the real world a one atom thick layer graphene layer is going to be destroyed incredibly quickly by UV, water, random pollutants in the atmosphere, etc. This seems to be another case of scientists going "I can do this in the lab" and engineers just shaking their heads.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:Real world by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This seems to be another case of scientists going "I can do this in the lab" and engineers just shaking their heads.

      All technological advances start that way. Remember the Manhattan Project? The space program? Einstein?

      Nothing makes a certain type of Slashdotter anti-technology faster than a development in renewable energy. The same people who are talking about a manned mission to Mars will go, "...but renewable energy isn't practical!"

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Real world by JoshuaZ · · Score: 2

      Not what is going on here. I'm extremely in favor of renewable energy, and have spent a fair bit of time on Slashdot harping about what people can do to encourage the use of renewable energy, and I had the same reaction. Yes, there are people who immediately condemn any sort of new renewable technology in a knee jerk fashion, but that doesn't change that some ideas really aren't good ones for practical applications.

    3. Re: Real world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Engineers at companies I've worked for that just shook theirbhead at new buy impractical ideas were the ones that had to find new jobs after restructuring, or were sent to positions to do grunt work without bonuses and raises. The good engineers responses were to have a discussion about options and directions for further research to make the impractical into practical. It doesn't always work out, but in general it s good for people to get excited about new ideas because sometimes it does work with further development.

    4. Re: Real world by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

      But it's one of the duties of a good engineer to quickly reject stupid ideas with a back-of-the-envelope argument. Otherwise time gets wasted with perpetual motion machines. A "discussion about options and directions for further research to make the impractical into practical" simply won't work for perpetual motion machines, or other similar ideas.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    5. Re:Real world by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 2

      I find the idea of generating electricity from water (as opposed to hydrogen and oxygen) as pretty dodgy.

      Hydroelectric, yo.

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
    6. Re:Real world by Gussington · · Score: 2

      We may as well give up then. If there's one sure fire way to make new things happen it's by complaining about it and giving up....

  2. Huh? by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Slashdot is still doing this. Ugh. It's not much better than the typical science-fair story.

    How much energy? I can make a free-power radio receiver with not much more than a long wire and a rectifier. It will feed your earbuds but it won't charge your Tesla.

    There is also the prospect of dirt getting in the way when things depend on one-molecule-thick layers.

    --
    Bruce Perens.
    1. Re:Huh? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      I'd suggest you read the article.

      Hang on. Probably best to wait until there actually *is* one.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:Huh? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      TFA is unclear but seems to be saying 1uA and a few hundred mV, so maybe 0.5uW for some unknown area under simulated conditions. Basically useless.

      A little turbine in the drain pipe would be far more effective and practical.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Huh? by whipslash · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You guys could always redirect the effort these negative comments take to sourcing and submitting stories to us, and voting in the firehose. Probably not as fun as complaining though

    4. Re: Huh? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      Real autonomous driving has much more input data than visibility of white lines.

      And no true scotsman pays attention to the white lines on the highway.

      Here's a little bit of recent self-driving car news for you, from Reuters:

      http://www.reuters.com/article...

      Volvo's North American CEO, Lex Kerssemakers, lost his cool as the automaker's semi-autonomous prototype sporadically refused to drive itself during a press event at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

      "It can't find the lane markings!" Kerssemakers griped to Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was at the wheel. "You need to paint the bloody roads here!"

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:Huh? by whipslash · · Score: 2

      If we posted just a few stories on a slow news day we'd hear from complainers too. I personally liked this story

    6. Re:Huh? by Gussington · · Score: 2

      This needs to be reposted in here everyday, or it should be mandatory first post for all new submissions
      It's getting rather tiring scrolling through all the "this is shit" comments as if it's some profound wisdom.

  3. Re:Off to the bar I go by Rockoon · · Score: 2

    I wonder how this compares to the current potential. Hopefully it is insulated from any negative effects, but we rarely see well-grounded arguments on certain charged topics. Its hard to resist dismissing these stories entirely.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."